Life-Changing Challengers

From Rehab to Entrepreneur: Nick Barrett's Journey to Success

Brad A Minus Season 1 Episode 25

What if the key to success lies in confronting your deepest fears and channeling that energy into groundbreaking innovation? Join us for an inspiring conversation with Nick Barrett, a serial entrepreneur and inventor of the Cord Brick, as he shares his unique journey from childhood to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Nick opens up about his early years near Washington, DC, his move to the Philadelphia suburbs, and how his role as the oldest child and grandchild shaped his path. He candidly discusses his academic shift from engineering to recreation, park, and tourism management, driven by his desire for fun and new experiences. Nick also reveals his struggles with social anxiety and emotional regulation, and how alcohol became both a crutch and a catalyst in his life.

Nick's story takes a transformative turn as he recounts his battle with alcohol addiction and the critical role rehab and community support played in his recovery. Discover how the principles of perseverance and dedication, essential in overcoming addiction, paralleled his journey into endurance sports like marathon running. At 30, Nick made the life-changing decision to focus on sobriety, leading to significant improvements in his health, relationships, and career over the next seven years. His narrative is a powerful testament to the incremental yet substantial changes that can occur by setting and achieving larger life goals.

We dive into Nick's entrepreneurial strategies and his insights on managing global teams, building communities, and the importance of clear vision and mentorship. Learn about his daily routines, from early morning communications with Chinese suppliers to his productivity hacks, all while following an intermittent fasting schedule. Nick emphasizes the value of resilience and determination, offering invaluable advice for young entrepreneurs in an era of AI and new technologies. Tune in for motivational stories and practical tips that will empower you to embark on your own path to success.

Contact Nick @ Cordbrick
Instagram:
@CordBrick
Facebook: @CordBrick
LinkedIn: NickBareett
YouTube:  @cordbrick
Cordbrick.com

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Contact Brad @ Life Changing Challengers
Instagram:
@bradaminus
Facebook: @bradaminus
X(Twitter): @bradaminus
YouTube: @lifechangingchallengers
LifeChangingChallengers.com

Brad:

All right, and we are back with another episode of Life Changing Challengers, and I am very honored to have entrepreneur and actually he calls himself a serial entrepreneur and inventor Nick Barrett. Now, nick has just come up with this amazing fricking product called the Cord Brick. But we're going to hold off on that, but it is. I just have to tell you right that when we get to that part, you're all going to be freaking excited. So, nick, how are you doing today?

Nick:

Hey Brad, I'm doing. Great Thanks for having me.

Brad:

Awesome. No, I appreciate you coming on Life Changing Challengers. So I start out with the same question every single time. So can you tell us a little bit about your childhood, the complement of your family? You know, brothers and sisters where you grew up and what your environment was like.

Nick:

Sure, I was born right outside of DC and grew up there until I was about 10. I have two younger brothers Patrick and Austin are their names. I'm the oldest grandchild on both sides. My parents are both actually oldest children as well. I had aunts and uncles that were fairly close in age. My mom has four siblings, my dad has two.

Nick:

When I was about 10, 11, we moved to Philadelphia suburbs, so like mid-Atlantic suburbs guy Became like Philadelphia sports fan and ended up going to Penn State. It was in state. I was always definitely above average in math and so I started in engineering. I ended up switching majors to something a little more fun because I wasn't really enjoying calculus and all the work that was associated with it at the time. So I majored in recreation, park and tourism management because my thought was like I want to do fun stuff and sell fun. That was my thinking, my life and my job. My dad worked for corporate life IBM and then my mom was in nursing and her parents were in government. So actually both of them were kind of pointing me towards more stable careers, which is a great solution for many people, although I didn't really feel like I fit in any one single career. So I kind of had a tough time picking entrepreneurship and deciding what I wanted to do. But then when I went to college I figured out okay, I don't want to do the same thing all the time. So the recreation and fun and kind of experience was like okay, I know I'm going to enjoy this, so let's see what I can learn while I'm doing that. And what I engaged in in my first couple of jobs was marketing.

Nick:

But you asked about my childhood, so I'll kind of circle back to that. My parents are still together. They are just great people and have great values. I look up to both of them. They're different than me. I'm more of a creative type and both of them are more traditional and a little more opposed to change and doing things a new way. I'm always looking for what's a new, better way to do something. Try not to do it in a critical way, just try to do it in a very thoughtful way. But I'm always looking for new possibilities or trying to understand why something is happening, rather than just going always to the status quo or the reason that everyone says is the reason why something or another is happening.

Nick:

I had a little struggle in my teenage years. I've never been the best at making friends and so I'm not exactly sure where it started. But sometime in my teenage years and moving into college I started to experience some problems with emotional regulation and anger. Then, you know, I felt really comfortable when I would drink because it kind of relaxed some of my social anxiety and insecurities I had developed. That was kind of, you know, led me to alcohol as something that was very enjoyable. When did that start? Did that start?

Brad:

in your teenage years.

Nick:

I think you know I'm at least from a family where it wasn't uncommon to have a sip of an alcoholic beverage that your parent or someone was holding onto. At a younger age I started drinking around the age of 16. And as soon as I did, I pretty much knew like this is awesome, I see what everyone's talking about. You know this is great. It really makes me feel more like myself. I'm more comfortable in my own skin, so I think I had an abnormal enjoyment of it, just because of the inhibition loss that happens when anybody really drinks alcohol.

Brad:

Did you find? So you mentioned your creative type, so did you find that maybe did it open up some doors in your head? Basically, did you find you were more creative? Because that seems to be the thing, right, we look at some of our best artists out there and they're like some of them have drug issues, some of them had alcohol issues, but they've created this great work of art. Did you tend to find that your creative mind kind of opened up or did it? Did you just kind of, did it just move into a partying type of atmosphere?

Nick:

I mean, in my experience, I would say lots of things can allow you to open your mind up, and substances are absolutely one of those things. I mean alcohol is one of a number of drugs and substances that you know I've experienced. That definitely changes your perspective on situations and it affects the way that you think and behave in the moment. So I don't think that alcohol actually led to an increase in creativity. For me, though, it definitely led to an increase in being social and not having that social anxiety and the fear of approaching new people or creating new connections. So maybe my personality was more open, but I don't think my mind was necessarily more creative.

Nick:

I think, actually, it limited my ability to solve problems is what really happened, and so my creative potential of how can I manage my mind was extremely limited by alcohol. That became the solution for how I managed all the problems, instead of actually thinking of new ways, having an open mind, thinking of new ways to solve the problems that I have. And I think for me, and I think it's true for a lot of people who have addiction problems based on that, you're trying to change a feeling with a drug. That's the goal, and alcohol absolutely does the job. It totally works in the moment. But then, whatever the real problem is, I found myself unable to, when I really needed to lean on some other solution, like personal skills and development, to actually solve them, and that became a problem.

Brad:

So that's huge, and I really appreciate you being so honest with us about that, because just to know that, you know that's what you do, you are a problem solver and the fact that alcohol did one thing for you but actually turned off the thing that you are most passionate about, that's a gigantic lesson learned right there. So I really appreciate you being so honest with us about that, because I think it's a great takeaway. All right, so when did you figure it out and decide that you needed to get help, or where did that story go?

Nick:

I think a lot of that comes from my support system that I did have. So it took till I was 30. I had gotten in trouble a couple of times, drinking and driving. Luckily I hadn't gotten any accidents or hurt anybody. I got really lucky not to get in trouble earlier or sooner, because this really wasn't the first time that I had been drinking and driving when I was caught. And so then the legal consequences really got to me and I lost my license.

Nick:

So that was a real wake up call and the whole process then of kind of going to rehab and accepting I had known for a while that it was a problem. I had told people in my life that I knew I had a problem and it wasn't sustainable and I understood that. But I just couldn't find going back to kind of the last question a little bit, I just couldn't find the willpower and I really thought that I didn't possess it, and because alcohol showed me that this was the solution and I didn't have any other solutions. And what's interesting is now the amount of willpower. I have to do anything and I also found this is very common Alcoholics addicts are often marathon runners and people who start businesses as well.

Nick:

It seems like the willpower that I was able to put towards drinking and the forcefulness in which I determined that I was going to do that and not do anything else with my life, I've been able to kind of turn that 180 degrees and point that towards self-improvement and doing things that actually do add value to my life. And so that happened when I was 30 and I went to rehab, and it's been seven years now, so that's been quite a process of change since then. It certainly didn't all happen overnight.

Brad:

Oh, I'm sure it didn't. Congratulations, by the way. Seven years is huge.

Nick:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean I'm an advocate for rehab when the person that is going is going voluntarily and on their own volition. You have to want to change and you know it's sad that some people are so damaged that they never get to a place where they voluntarily choose to go. Do that if they're fortunate to have the opportunity, that if they're fortunate to have the opportunity. But it does have to come from what I've seen the individual themselves really believing that they have a problem, they really want to make a change and it's helped by other people in their life.

Nick:

At least for me, I had some family members that had gotten sober and had been able to stay sober and had successful and good lives and then had some wisdom to share with that. But I think that's kind of the thing that AA provided me in the beginning with was a lot of people who were telling my story, who explained it just like I felt. I thought I was totally different. Turns out I'm not. Lots of other people feel and experience the same thing, so that was really comforting to help me get through the beginning stages especially Great.

Brad:

I constantly tell my clients I'm an endurance coach. That's my big thing is I show people how to conquer the Ironman, triathlon, marathons, ultra marathons, marathon swimming. That whole thing was that you find a bigger goal and then you go after it and the rehab, the weight loss, the fitness, all that stuff comes in on the way and that's my biggest, biggest message to everybody is those things about? Okay, I just need to get sober. Well, shoot for this while you're in rehab or while you're going to aa, while you're doing that, and you've got this much bigger goal and you change on the way right you have to have something to shoot for.

Nick:

And you know, as, as you know, the destination is, the journey, right, I mean, the things that happen along the way are the magic, and it certainly doesn't happen overnight. And, as the journey is, it doesn't happen all at. And, as the journey is, it doesn't happen all at once. It's a long process and it's drawn out and the things that occur come in very unexpected spikes. Almost you start seeing results. Really all of a sudden, people start telling you that they have noticed things out of nowhere and you almost don't even realize, because you're so close with everything happening to you every day, that the change has to come. When you take a step back and kind of look at where you were at a period of time and then where you are, and then kind of do a side by side, and then you can really see a little bit better after some time goes by All right.

Brad:

So where you were was at 30, you were going into rehab getting in trouble. Where did your life go from there?

Nick:

Yeah, so I was going to three meetings a day, sometimes more of AA and we have a great local community where I live now in Naples. So I've stuck around and for a while it was basically just that and no work or anything like that, and I started to get some part-time jobs here and there. It did take two or three years to really start developing the other aspects of the self-improvement. At first it was just all I have to do is not drink. Today that is my only goal, it's the only thing I have to worry about. If I don't do anything else, if I just don't do that, then my day isn't a success and you think like man, how long do you have to do that for? So it's that critical really in the beginning to just have all your mind and effort and thought and everything you're doing focused on that one goal. Because what do you realize is, without being able to do that at least for me my life was completely falling apart. It was totally uncontrollable. Without that, everything else was gone all my family, relationships and everything. So that did take two or three years, I think too.

Nick:

And then the physical development came after that. Yeah, so I started really taking care of my body, just first by exercising, and then the diet and what I eat now, just what I consume and put in my body now is like I guess everyone's kind of learning these days about so much of the harms of our food supply, really, frankly, and what makes you feel better when you consume it, and so just things like that have just sort of stacked up along the way. And now if you look at the life that I'm living, the type of person that I'm trying to be, and then the results that are coming from that with business and then with other things, it's like wow, the comparison to year one, two, three is just so much different than it was. So it took about four years for me to actually start the business after I got sober. So here we are.

Brad:

So let's get into it then. So everybody and I'll put links and stuff and pictures and stuff so you can see this. But basically, nick has come up with an invention called Cordrick. Nick has come up with an invention called Chord Brick. For all of you that have to charge your phones and you've got a desk or a nightstand where you've got all these cords and they fall in the back. He has come up with numerous products based around the same idea that will hold your cords there so you have access to them without them falling anywhere. So how did you, how did that come about and where? How did you move to a point where you've been on Good Morning America and you've had an article in USA Today and some of these major publications?

Nick:

Yeah, and now we're going into 500 Lowe's stores, which is, you know, a huge retailer. So it's, you know we're on doing well on Amazon and our website, cordbreakcom. The issue was, as you very appropriately described, is the phone cords. You know the plug they're on the wall or they're somewhere, and then the cords kind of have a mind of their own right. The end's not very heavy and they just kind of are strewn about, they're a little ornery. You know the cable are strewn about, they're a little ornery. The cable just prevents them from being too bendy. You're able to string them where you need to.

Nick:

So I thought, okay, why can't I just invent a brick Very simple, right, tiny little brick, and I just put my cord in a little channel that I carve out for it and I just set it anywhere on my nightstand, on my desk. And there were adhesive cord holders that existed then and exist now. But I just didn't want something like that. I wanted to be able to put it right on my bed sheet and just grab my phone cord or move this device as well, because what you can do with it is you can just wrap your phone cord around it or other charger cords, take it with you and then it unwraps untangled snap wrap trap is what I say. And so we've been able to create a patent with this product. We just got our utility patent approved and it's going to be issued later this month. So that's very exciting for us and kind of protects not just the way that the product looks but actually the way that it works, so a lot more than just the design.

Nick:

And so with the success of that first product, cordbrick, we've launched our second product, deskbrick, which is another weighted silicone rubber device, but bigger in this case and has a little bit different design to kind of add some functionality more for your desk. So that's kind of another addition to our brick line of weighted holders, and so we'll be launching some more products next year. We've grown an extraordinary amount in the last four years. We five and a half X'd our revenue last year, we 10X'd it the year before, 10xed it the year before that, so we didn't start very big that first year, so that I did not too much. It's been great growth and it looks like we're building a sustainable brand. My goal now is brand acquisition and yeah, it's just amazing to kind of be where we're at now and on the trajectory of going here this next year.

Brad:

Yeah. So I'm one of those that uses the adhesive and I got to tell you it's still a pain in the butt and then the adhesive doesn't last. So for all of you out there you that are constantly hunting for cords and you've got different cords for different devices and especially for all of you, my clients out there and my fellow endurance athletes we have accords for our watches. We've got these new swim goggles that have a form thing in them that have GPS. If there's a totally separate cord, then your bike computer, your hydration monitor, all this stuff and they all have different cords in them and I've got all my cords there. So whenever I need to plug stuffing in, it's right there and I plug it in and I let it charge and I'm good to go.

Brad:

So check this out for all my endurance athletes out there. It is a godsend, and the nice thing about it is because it's not adhesive. You want to throw it in your bag when you're going on a distance race, which I'm doing Sunday. It's nice to have it and you just plug it in, you put this stuff in there and you know exactly where everything is. Then you wrap all those cords that you've got, just wrap them around and you're good to go. So yeah, definitely check that out and we'll put a link in the show notes so you can take a look at that.

Nick:

Then I forgot to mention also there's kind of a lot more to this product as well. Like you can even stand your phone, you can grab your AirPods, so no, and that's okay, I didn't kind of keep going on about it, but like it just adds additional uses for your phone. I mean, I think the thing that really set this product apart were two things. One, it's specifically made for phone cords. Other, the adhesive ones and the ones that are often sold are kind of more for bigger desktop cables and things that aren't going to move.

Nick:

But because of all the small devices that you mentioned I mean there's really been AirPods, the watches, the bracelets and different things like that monitoring devices, rings, whatever Bluetooth speakers I mean we can just go on and on right. There's tons of little devices now that there just weren't five or 10 years ago, and so you need a specific device that's designed to manage all of those cords. They're going to keep them all organized and keep your space clear and then add some other bonuses, like for your phone, for filming yourself, video calls and stuff like that too. So it just adds like a little bit of extra functionality, and I think that's what makes it so giftable too. That's where we've had some successes in that stocking stuffer keyword online.

Brad:

So you saw a spike, and you see spikes during Christmas.

Nick:

Oh my gosh, q4, we do about 60% of our business. It's just extremely giftable. If you look at the other competitors, they just do one thing and this thing we say eight plus uses, but really it's got even more than that. I mean it's cool because the person you give it to can kind of adapt it to whatever they need, like whatever their situation is and as their situation changes, because there's no adhesive boom. They can just change it. However they need to set it up so reusable, sustainable, all that. But you know, it's just a better product for a better price.

Brad:

Yeah, I know, I totally agree. So, everybody out there, this is the absolute epitome of life changing challengers. Nick had an issue with alcohol and he got over it, and that allowed him to do what he knows that he's good at, which is problem solving. He solved the problem that 90 percent of the people that use mobile devices have, and it changed his life. So, being that said, and being that we know that addiction is not something that ever goes away, can you give us an insight on what right now is a typical day in Nick Barrett's life?

Nick:

I'm not sure I'd recommend it to most people. I'm in what some people would call monk mode. Lately. This is my product development time of year, January through like May. We've kind of pushed it a little late this year because we got so much in development. We're trying to launch a bunch of new products for next year and get several in development and test them out and stuff like that. But soon I'll be going to trade shows. I think the great thing about being an entrepreneur is like you set your own schedule. So I'm mostly working at my computer. You know I've got a great setup and I'm communicating with all my freelancers from around the world who are doing all kinds of projects for me. My agency's managing our different channels and presences, I'm building sales programs for the various channels and we're just constantly iterating and tinkering very small things. So what does a typical day look like?

Nick:

looks like me getting up early and checking my messages with my chinese suppliers. That ends with me communicating or sending messages to them for the next day because we're on 12 hour differences. My most productive time of day is usually like 7 7 30 to like 2 ish or something like that, maybe 2 33, and I usually take like a late lunch. I'm on an intermittent fasting schedule so I usually don't eat too much before, like three four in the afternoon and that's pretty much my only meal a day, maybe like a bowl of yogurt or something later, but then I try to get a workout in either before or after that meal. I work on Saturdays and Sundays and have for the last several years and I certainly take some days for family and certain events. But it's been a grind and I have to say I'm enjoying it. One of the things about it is I see the light at the end of the tunnel. We're talking about that aim and that goal and where you're really going. I've had a very clear vision.

Nick:

I always try to tell other entrepreneurs two things you got to figure out when you first think of an idea what's the problem this product actually solves, or service or whatever right, and who's going to pay for it.

Nick:

That's one and one A, and then two is how are you going to exit, how are you going to get out?

Nick:

And people think why do I have to think about how I'm going to get out? Well, that's because it determines all the aims, that where you're going the whole time. It should determine all the actions actually that you do based on what your exit strategy is, because there's a number of different ways to get out of a business and most people don't want to have to be running their business their whole life. Their goal is to kind of set it and forget it eventually, just let it create residual income. For me, it's to sell it, and so I'm going to use it as a launching pad no-transcript or access to capital to begin, and that was part of the strategy to sell the business to then launch other businesses after that. So really it's all been part of a big goal, and so I think that's one of the reasons why it seems to be going so well is because we've been aiming towards that the whole time and every action that we've been taking has been oriented towards doing that and every action that we've been taking has been oriented towards doing that.

Brad:

Awesome, now, I like that exit strategy. So we do the same thing when we when I coach for racing do the same thing. How do you want to finish? What's your time? That's your exit. Now, everything prior to that, now the training, all aligns with that, all dependent, it's all dependent. So, yeah, yeah, and you know, and my day job is I'm a project manager, so it kind of helps. Do you find yourself still? Do you go to AA meetings anymore? Do you still find time to go?

Nick:

I do sometimes hesitate to say this because it's you know, you don't want to ever get too far away from things that have helped you. But I would say that I'm not the typical AA-er, if you will, from what I've seen and that's maybe judging myself and judging some others a little bit, I guess. But the 12th step of AA is about helping other people. Right, for those of you who don't, it's AA and other recovery programs and 12-step programs, and the point is to give up your own will and put your will on something else, like God or your higher power, and then learn, fix, do that and share with other people what you've learned. Then there's a good chance that you won't stay sober, because by repeating what you've learned to these other people, it actually helps you more than it helps them Really, and so it's almost a selfish way of doing things, but it totally works and it does help them too, because they hear what they hear their story in you and relate to different things that you say.

Brad:

So helping other people the 12 step.

Nick:

Okay. So what I try to do a little bit now with that, as opposed to helping other AAs, is I try to help other people who are starting their own business, so I'm trying to guide people through. If I go to FGCU and speak at the entrepreneurship school there, I want to kind of show them how rewarding this process of building something has been for me, so that maybe, instead of jumping around in different jobs or not being happy in their career, if they're really entrepreneurial, maybe there's something that I can share with them to help get them sped up down that path so that they could contribute their ideas and values to the world. Because I actually think that what's going to happen is we're going to see a lot more entrepreneurs created here with AI and the technology that's kind of right on the horizon, because it's going to allow people to start businesses for a much lower cost.

Nick:

Really, that's the limiting factor with starting a business is people need to make money to pay for their life and starting a business, you basically don't make money initially for several years. That's almost always how it works. You almost always need more investment to go into the business. So I think it gives younger people a chance. I see these young entrepreneurs and it's like you add these ideas but you don't have the experience, you don't have the money. So I'd like to try to share the 12th step of my experience, of the motivation and stuff a lot with those people too. I love sharing it with other alcoholics and people that you know have addiction and recovery problem. You know issues as well, but I've kind of shifted the focus a little bit too just to that. I find that it's very valuable and helpful for me too. I think it's helpful for these young folks as well.

Brad:

Awesome.

Nick:

Yeah, so I do. So I have a. It's more of a kind of a nonprofit idea. What I want to do is I want to create the build something initiative in each town. The idea is to get people physically together. Even though virtual reality and working remotely is great, manufacturing back With things like 3D printing technology, we are going to be making more stuff in the United States. We're going to reduce the shipments from across the sea. We're going to reduce waste, we're going to make it on demand. What I want to do is create a network of people who are actually building physical things. By creating networks in communities of entrepreneurs, it can attract other young entrepreneurs to join, get some mentors, learn from people who are just a couple of steps above them, maybe several steps past where they are now, and hopefully be able to build something together and to kind of create businesses and collaborate with people nearby. So it's a challenge and something that's down the road for us, but it's something I'd like to potentially pursue.

Brad:

Well, I hope you do, because that would be epic, absolutely, and I think it's definitely something we need today, because I feel like we've lost the connection. To have those spaces to physically look at each other and bring in your ideas even if it's not functional at the time, but just an idea that they can share with mentors and stuff, I think it's absolutely epic, I think it's absolutely needed right now. So I am going to pray that that's going to happen, because I think we need it. Thanks.

Nick:

I think that people who are nearby each other and who are physically meeting face-to-face, it also creates more of accountability and commitment too.

Nick:

When you're remote and you can just cancel Zoom, it's so easy and it just makes a huge out for you.

Nick:

But if you physically live in the town with people that you're seeing and you're saying you're going to do some stuff and then you don't do it or you're not showing up at meetings, people will give you a call because you're nearby, but if you're too far away, you might see them at the store or something like that. So I really do think that getting in person and then you ask more questions, you can touch and feel different products, especially for building products. This is very useful and you kind of see different aspects of you didn't notice before. So that hands-on approach for me has always been really helpful. I think if we could create a group like this that could just you know, because I think you want to stay away from people who are looking to profit off of these entrepreneurs and sell them services which is what always happens with the networking groups in my experience then it would be better for the actual entrepreneurs and then for the local economy to grow from what those people create, and right there.

Brad:

I believe it. So if somebody wanted to get in contact with you, what would be the best way?

Nick:

Sure, you can email me, nick at cordbrickcom C-O-R-D-B-R-I-C-K. Or just visit cordbrickcom. We've got contact forms on there, a little chat bot that you can ask questions to that I'll see send us a message. So, yeah, just reach out to us there. We're at cordbrick on all the main social medias X, instagram, facebook, all that.

Brad:

Great. So I am going to link all of those in the in the show notes so you'll have all of that. But if you want to ask Nick a question, or maybe you want to figure out a way to help out your own business, maybe Nick will be nice enough to share some of those secrets. Nick, I really appreciate you joining us today. I think this was a lot of wonderful information. You joining us today. I think this was a lot of wonderful information. The ability that we've got a ton of people out there that were in the same situation and to know that they can turn their life completely and become so successful is really important and really inspiring. Thank you so much. Thanks, All right.

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